The mountainous island of South Georgia is covered in snow and ice most of the year, because of its southern latitude. Only the coastal fringes sport some vegetation in the form of patches of tussock grass, moss and lichen. The island's northern coast features numerous inlets and fjords that serve as natural harbours. South Georgia's highest peak is 2,935 m (9,629 ft) high Mount Paget.

The first Europeans discovered South Georgia in 1675. Captain James Cook made the first landing in 1775. He surveyed the island and named it after King George III.

In the wake of his publications about the island and its huge fur seal population, 2 years later numerous sealers set off for South Georgia. By the 1830s most of the fur seals had been exterminated and the hunters turned their attention to elephant seals, animals that were described as 'sea leopards', but were probalby Weddell seals and later to the five species of whale that live in the area.

Although South Georgia's wildlife was decimated during the 19th century, it has largely recovered and nowadays it is once again abundant and varied. You will see large amounts of fur seals, penguins and reindeer, introduced by the whaling companies, on the island.

Nowadays, the only people living on South Georgia include a small British military detachment at King Edward Point and a British Antarctic Survey research team, which is stationed at the northwestern tip of the island. King Edward Point serves as South Georgia's administrative capital and it is located not far from the former whaling basis of Grytviken.

South Georgia is about 1,400 km (870 mi) southeast of the Falkland Islands, the region's administrative center.